NATIONAL SKYDIVE CENTER FINDS ITS ULTIMATE JUMP SHIP Texas Turbines Conversions, Inc. achieves landmark 100th Honeywell engine conversion

“ The Cessna Caravan is one of the best and most efficient jump ships available thanks to Texas Turbine Conversions. Fitting it with the Honeywell TPE331 engine delivers more climbing horsepower, longer life and longer TBO.”Bryan Meijers, chief pilot, National Skydive Center, Teuge, the Netherlands

Quick FactsHoneywell Solution

• TPE331-12JR engine

Customer Results

• Fuel consumption is reduced by 20 percent

with 30 percent more lift capacity

• TBO extended from 3,600 hours to

5,000 hours

• Engine life extended through 20 percent

reduction in horsepower when climbing

• Less engine noise during flight

OverviewA successful skydive operation needs fast turnarounds, low fuel costs and longer time between

overhaul (TBO). That’s why the National Skydive Center in Teuge, the Netherlands, engaged Texas

Turbine Conversions, Inc. to fit a new Honeywell TPE331 engine to its Cessna Caravan, transforming it

into the ideal jump ship.

Why National Skydive Center chose Honeywell

• Honeywell engines deliver the necessary

power combined with economic operation

• These are recognized and highly regarded

upgrades for the Cessna Caravan

• Texas Turbines has a 20-year record of

these conversions

Customer

• Name: National Skydive Center

• Location: Teuge, the Netherlands

• Industry: Skydiving

• Website: www.paracentrumteuge.nl

Background:Skydive Teuge was formed in 1968 and in 1985 the National Skydive

Center was established by a joint venture between the Royal Dutch Aviation

Association (KNVvL) and the Teuge Skydiving Center, to provide the

Netherlands with a full-time skydiving facility.

Located on the edge of the Veluwe area near Apeldoorn, it is run as a

non-profit association that make its individual skydive charges some

of the lowest in Europe by subsiding them from the income made from

tandem jumps.

In 1997, the association bought its first Cessna Grand Caravan 208

because of its good build quality, single engine economy and roomy cabin

which can accommodate 18 or 20 jumpers. The delivery of this new aircraft

marked a big step forward for the organization and was a replacement for

two older Cessna 206 planes.

However, there was one drawback, as chief pilot, Bryan Meijers, explained:

“The Cessna Grand Caravan is a superb jump ship but the only major

disadvantage we found is that the original PT6 engine had a lack of

horsepower for climbing performance and ran a little bit too hot.”

Business Need:Successful skydive operations need to turn around as many jumpers as

they can in as short a time as possible, and to contain costs. National

Skydive Center deals with 45,000 jumps a year which means 300 hours

airtime for each aircraft. Reliable, safe workhorses are required.

“A normal plane climbs for 10 percent of the time, cruises for 80 percent

of the time and then it descends and lands for the last 10 percent, but in

skydiving we are always climbing, so we constantly need 100 percent of the

engine,” said Meijers.

“With the original PT6 we had to squeeze every

bit of horsepower out of it to get the required

performance and in the long-term that will cause

more wear.”

Solution:In 2010 the center looked at two options for

increasing the Caravan’s engine power.

“One was a bigger PT6 and the other one was

a Honeywell engine, the TPE331, from Texas

Turbines,” said Meijers.

“We needed more horsepower and so we did our

homework. At first, we thought it made sense to

just go with the larger PT6 but when we made

the comparison between the two we very soon

realized that the Honeywell will outperform the

PT6 big time, so we went for the Honeywell.

“When we contacted Texas Turbines they were

really good at communicating. We had questions

about the conversion and they were really quick

with providing good answers.”

The association decided on a Supervan 900™

conversion with a 900hp Honeywell TPE331-

12JR turboprop.

Texas Turbines holds the supplemental type

certificate (STC) for this work and has been

converting aircraft to the Honeywell engines

since the mid-90s.

The TPE331 engine is flat-rated to lengthen

its lifespan while holding rated power at higher

altitudes and higher temperatures. It’s a direct

drive engine which enables instantaneous power

response with no spool-up time.

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Also, coupling the four-blade Hartzell prop with

the slower turning 900 shaft horsepower (shp)

engine lowers noise levels but increases static

thrust for takeoff, quicker climb and

faster cruise.

Texas Turbines’ generic comparisons between

the PT6A-42A engine and the Supervan 900

TPE331-12R show a 26 percent improvement

in take-off distance, a 19 percent increase

in climb rate and a five percent increase in

maximum cruise speed.

Average overhaul costs are reduced by

58 percent and operational costs per hour,

based on time between overhaul (TBO),

are reduced by 70 percent.

Benefits:“The good news for us in the long term is that the

original Honeywell engine was 1,100 horsepower

but it’s de-rated for the Supervan 900 back to

900 horsepower. When we climb, we’re only

using 80 percent of its capacity which means

less engine wear,” said Meijers.

“TBO has also improved. With the Honeywell

engine, it’s 5,000 hours for our type of operation

which is a big improvement on the original PT6

which was only 3,600 hours. It means a lot less

money spent.

“Another benefit is that it has a torque and temperature limiter which

means it’s impossible to over-torque or overheat it and that’s really good.

Also, the inflight noise level of the TPE331 is much lower than with the

PT6 and that’s important over the densely populated areas of Europe.”

The center has seen a 20 percent reduction in fuel consumption

combined with 30 percent more lift capacity which keeps costs down

and enables it to offer €20 jump tickets. That is the lowest in Europe

and attracts many jumpers for across Holland and Germany. Increased

power also means a swift turnaround of 14-15 minutes, compared to

23-24 minutes with the original PT6 engine.

Such is the success of the Supervan 900, when the National Skydive

Center recently formed a partnership with a drop zone in the north of the

Netherlands it decided to replace a Cessna 207 with a Supervan 900.

The aircraft was National Skydive Center’s third Supervan 900 and it’s

the 100th conversion for Texas Turbines.

“Texas Turbines’ conversion to the Honeywell TPE331 engine has made

the Supervan 900 the most efficient jump ship available,” concluded

Meijers. “It’s very reliable, easy to fly and its engine is very efficient.”